Lesson 20

Willing To Sacrifice?

I Corinthians 9:1-14

The championship game. Bottom of the ninth. Tie score. Bases loaded. One out. And you're up to bat. You feel the pressure to win the game. Get a hit and you've won the game. Actually, you're glad that it's your bat. You led the league in batting percentage, .375. You're not only a good hitter, you're a power hitter, the team leader in RBI's and homeruns. You've faced this pitcher before. He's good. He's struck you out a few times. But you're good, too. You've hit home runs off him. More than once. In the on-deck circle, you take few practice swings and then move to the batter's box, dig in, confident. You look down to the third base coach, to get a sign, fully expecting the swing away sign. But, to your surprise, he licks his thumb and touches his cap, giving you the sign to sacrifice. Just hit the ball into the outfield, far enough that even though you fly out, the runner at third can tag up and score the winning run. You face a choice. Do what the coach says and the team wins the championship and someone else is the star of game for having scored the winning run. Or ignore the coach, refuse to play it safe, refuse to sacrifice, swing for the fence, take the risk of striking out, but swing for the fence. A homerun here is a grand slam and you are the star of the game. Are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of the team? Or are you more interested in your own heroic performance?

When Jim Thorpe, who is considered by many to have been the greatest all-time athlete (Olympic gold medalist in the pentathalon and decathalon; pro football player; pro baseball player) played baseball he choose on one occasion to ignore the coach. He knocked in the winning run, was the hero of the game, and was promptly fined by the team manager for not following the sign. The coaching staff regarded him as being more interested in personal success than in the team success.

In case you haven't noticed in our current study of Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth, the Corinthian team suffered from a bad case of individualism. They viewed themselves as distinct, isolated players and gave little thought to how their actions would affect the rest of the team.

But as we shall see today in I Corinthians 9, Paul was a team player, willing to sacrifice personal freedoms and responsibilities for the sake of the gospel.

A first glance into I Corinthians 9, looks like an interruption. It sounds like Paul has stopped talking about the issue of eating meat offered to idols which is the subject both in chapter 8 and in chapter 10, and begins to explain his policy about financial support. Actually, I Corinthians 9 is not an interruption at all. It is an illustration of the very principle Paul has presented in chapters 8 and 10. That principle is that we should be willing to give up meat rather than to cause a Christian brother to stumble, 8:13. As we shall see, Paul explains that he is free, he has the right to receive financial support for his ministry, yet he willingly sets aside his rights in order to achieve a much higher goal.

Paul's Personal Privileges Revealed, 9:1-14.

More than once, Paul had to defend his apostleship, vs. 1-2. He had not been one of the original twelve. Some were saying that he was not really an apostle. But he was. He fully qualified as an apostle. He had seen the resurrected Christ personally (like the others) and had been commissioned by Christ as a sent one, an apostle. He had done the work of an apostle especially so far as the Corinthians were concerned.

Being an apostle meant that he had certain rights, certain freedoms, certain privileges. He speaks about them beginning in verse 3. The Bible uses the word "power" (vs. 4, 5, 6, 12, 12, 18) six times in five verses. It means power, not in the sense of strength or ability but power in the sense of authority, freedom, right. He had the right to expect that his basic needs in life ("food and drink") would be provided by the people of God, v. 4. He had the right to be able to expect that a believing wife would be provided for, as it was for Cephas (Peter) and the brethren of the Lord, v. 5. He and Barnabas had the right of not having to work for a living in addition to his ministry, v. 6. He deserved to have something to eat, to have a family accompany him in ministry and of the full-time support of the churches.

Just as a soldier doesn't have to support himself in addition to his military service (v. 7), just as a farmer eats from the crops he raises (v. 7), just as a shepherd gets his food from the flock he tends (v. 7), Paul deserves to be supported by the his work.

The Old Testament illustrates this principle. In Deuteronomy 25:4 God commanded that the ox that treaded the mill must not be muzzled. Paul makes reference to this in verse 9. Then he asks, "Did God give this command because of His great concern for oxen?" Verse 10 answers the question, "God's primary concern is for people." God intends for us to learn from the oxen. Just as the ox was free to eat from the grain that it treaded, Paul deserved to be free to live from the financial support of the churches. Just as the laborer who plows the field and the harvester who threshes the grain did it with anticipation that they would personally benefit from their work, so Paul deserves the same. We sow spiritual seed, so is it too much to expect to reap material gain? verse 11. Others in your life are treated like this so shouldn't we be also? From verse 13 comes another Old Testament example. The priests lived from the sacrifices brought to the temple, Leviticus 6:16. And so preachers of the gospel are entitled to live of the gospel, v. 14. This is what God has ordained. There are some people, my father-in-law is one, who believe that it's fine to preach but you should never be paid a salary for ministry. I am not paid to preach. But I am paid to be free to give my life to ministry. This is a biblical principle. Jesus told his disciples, when he sent them out to preach (Matthew 10:9-10) "Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat." Luke 10:7-8 "And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."

Paul reveals his personal rights, freedom and privileges.

Paul's Personal Privileges Refused, 9:12b; 19; 23.

But now notice this. Although Paul could have enjoyed these liberties, he chose to surrender these rights. He was willing to sacrifice. Look at the middle of verse 12. "Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ." Read verses 19 and 23.

The priority of Paul's life was not getting what he deserved, not exercising his freedom. He was a team player and willing to make personal sacrifices for the sake of the gospel. Paul would rather have endured personal suffering than to hinder the gospel.

The Christian life is not about individual rights. Though you may feel that you have liberty in Christ to do what you will, you need to remember that this is all much bigger than your personal freedom, privileges and rights. The priority of your life should be the gospel and all personal freedoms secondary. So now you're up to bat! Are you going to be a team player or go for individual glory? Are you willing to sacrifice?